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Donald Trump has become the first sitting president to attend a regular-season NFL game since 1978, making a stunning arrival by flying over Northwest Stadium before attending Detroit Lions vs Washington Commanders.
Air Force One swooped low over the stadium, which is just outside of DC in Maryland, during the first quarter of the Sunday afternoon game and the President himself was even impressed by the scenes unfolding below him.
As he stepped off his plane and onto the tarmac moments later, he said: 'I just want to say…was that the greatest flyover ever?'
Trump, who will be interviewed from his suite during the third quarter of the game, was seen arriving at the Commanders' showdown with the Lions a day after it emerged he wants the Washington team to name their new $3.7billion stadium after him.
Unfortunately for the President, he wasn't arriving to a close game. The Lions raced into a 22-10 lead by the end of the second quarter, with the Commanders missing their star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his elbow last week.
Trump is expected to sit with principal owner Josh Harris, the leader of the group that purchased the Commanders from Daniel Snyder for about $6bn in 2023.
Donald Trump flew over Lions vs Commanders on Air Force One on Sunday afternoon
The view from Air Force One, which Trump said was one of the best flyovers ever
Trump pictured after touching down following the stunning flyover in Washington
Heavily armed law enforcement stand guard on the sideline before kickoff in Washington DC
The plane flew low over Northwest Stadium during the first quarter of Commanders vs Lions
According to a report by ESPN on Saturday, an intermediary for the White House has told the Commanders´ ownership group that Trump wants the club's new stadium to bear his name.
Under a deal announced in April between the team and the District of Columbia, the team will return to the nation's capital in a new stadium expected to cost nearly $4bn.
It will be built on the site of the RFK Stadium, where the team played for more than three decades when it won three Super Bowls in the 1980s and 1990s.
'That would surely be a beautiful name, as it was President Trump who made the rebuilding of the new stadium possible,' said Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the Republican president.
In July, Trump threatened to hold up the deal by insisting that the team change its name from the Commanders back to the Redskins, a name that was considered offensive to Native Americans.T
Trump has long enjoyed having his name appear on things from his career as a real estate developer, from high-rise buildings, hotels and golf courses to his branding deals that have seen Trump-emblazoned Bibles, watches and cologne.
As Trump boarded Air Force One in West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon, extra security measures were put in place hours before kick off at Northwest Stadium.
Officers in black secret uniforms identifying them as members of the Secret Service joined military, police and other guards inside and outside Northwest Stadium. There were more fences than usual blocking sidewalks and some pathways were restricted.
Only two other times did a president go to an NFL game during the regular season while in office, according to the league: Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter in 1978.
Trump became the first president to go to a Super Bowl while in the White House when he watched the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February.
Sunday's visit to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, would be the latest in a series of high-profile appearances at sporting events by Trump, including golf's Ryder Cup, auto racing's Daytona 500 and tennis' US Open.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth was seen chatting with officials while waiting for Trump
Trump was seen boarding Air Force One earlier on Sunday as he headed for Washington DC
A fan is frisked by security guards as measures were ramped up with Trump in attendance
Security was tight at Northwest Stadium with officers from various agencies on patrol
'We are honored to welcome President Trump to the game as we celebrate those who have served and continue to serve our country,' Commanders club president Mark Clouse said.
'The entire Commanders organization is proud to participate in the NFL's league-wide Salute to Service initiative, recognizing the dedication and sacrifice of our nation's veterans, active-duty service members, and their families this Sunday.'
There was friction between Trump and the NFL during his first presidential term, when he objected to players kneeling during the national anthem to protest social or racial injustice. That movement began in 2016 with then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Via social media and other public comments, Trump insisted that players should stand for the national anthem and called on team owners to fire anyone taking a knee.
